Dear fellow reader,

If you could know me as a reader when I was a child, you would know that the "The Lightning Thief" from the "Percy Jackson & the Olympians" series heavily impacted the way I see the world. "The Lightning Thief"took Greek mythology—a world which didn't appeal to my elementary self—and transformed it into a setting that was entertaining, modern, and unique. Now, as a reader in the present moment, no matter what it is that I read, I can bring my own imagination to a world and turn it into whatever I want to see it as.

However, due to the heroic themes the plot displays, "The Lightning Thief"has, in a way, made me feel a bit self-centered, believing that the Earth rotated around me only. I have to constantly remind myself that everyone else's lives are just as important, that as a reader, I can use my own understanding and imagination to empathize with other people's stories.

"The Lightning Thief" was one of those books that I read over and over again. Every time I started reading, I would see things I hadn't noticed before; phrases that didn't register to me in the past. As a reader, not only did this encourage me to be a more careful reader, but to also to search deeper into the text before me.

Another series that was a heavy influencer was "A Series of Unfortunate Events."I actually haven't thought about the series at all recently until it was brought up again in class. As you might know, the series itself introduces a turmoil of struggles and obstacles for the three siblings, and was a huge hair gripper at times. It was the first time I've ever truly felt sympathy for a book's characters, to the point where I desired to intervene in the story and dictate its events.

I applaud Lemony Snicket for creating such beautifully tragic pieces of writing. I've grown to be much more expressive in my emotions because of this series, thus, as a reader, I become easily inspired and touched by a multitude of genres. For that, I am truly thankful to carry such a fragile and responsive heart due to my experience with "A Series of Unfortunate Events."

With these books in mind, the reader that I am today is a lot more careful and analytical compared to my childhood mindset. Being that way isn't a bad thing. In fact, it has led me to enjoy stories more because now I can perceive images and concepts better than I could seven years ago. In the past, I would consider myself to be easily entranced by stories, whereas nowadays I need to be captured by the book early on in order to continue with it. As a reader, I want to try my best to enjoy a book for what it is rather than always search for an ideal appeal for my own taste. I believe that every story carries great value, and for me to be able to attain that is to be more open to what's out there. I hope the books within my childhood and the reflection that I brought gives you a better sense of the reader that I am.

Yours truly,

JC